


Redemption

by Rosetylars



Series: Cricverse [6]
Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Aus vs NZ ODI series, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Kissing, Living Together, M/M, Mitch is a kitchen disaster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: Mitch is under pressure to perform, but he wasn't able to make a big statement during the South Africa series. Has he run out of time to stake a claim on his spot in the side?
Relationships: Mitch Marsh/Pat Cummins
Series: Cricverse [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755766
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> This is set after the events of the one shot ["The more things change, the more they stay the same."](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22146736/chapters/52864447)
> 
> It can also be read on its own!
> 
> ***  
> Sydney, March 2020.

Mitch had some modest success on the South Africa tour - a little more so with the bat than the ball. He managed to get starts in pretty much every batting innings, but several impressive bowling and fielding efforts by the South Africans managed to stop him in his tracks every time he got going.

The Aussies had a few days off before the home ODI series against New Zealand. Since the first two matches were in Sydney, Mitch stayed with Pat after arriving back to Australia.

Because it was a day-night match, the team wasn’t due to the ground until midday, so Pat and Mitch got to enjoy a sleep in. When Pat’s alarm went off at 9:30am, Mitch groaned. 

“I’m still tired,” Mitch protested, burying his face into Pat’s bare back, hugging his arm tighter around Pat’s middle. 

Pat chuckled. “No you’re not, Mitchy. We never sleep in this late,” he pointed out.

“If we were on holidays, I wouldn’t be out of bed ’til eleven,” he grumbled.

Pat turned around to look at him, and his fake grumpy look melted Pat’s heart. Pat kissed Mitch’s forehead. “But we aren’t on holidays. It’s game day!”

“You didn’t seem to care about game day when you were kissing me last night,” Mitch said suggestively.

Pat felt the flush rise in his cheeks as he remembered all of the fun they had last night. They hadn’t gotten to sleep until past midnight. “Come on, let’s have a shower,” he suggested.

Mitch’s eyes lit up at that, his sleepiness dissipating. “Together?”

“Of course. Come on,” Pat squeezed Mitch’s hip, before they both headed to the shower.

Per their routine, they both brushed their teeth before they got into the shower. Mitch took advantage of that, kissing Pat deeply as soon as they were under the water. 

“You’re minty,” Pat grinned against Mitch’s lips. 

Mitch reached for the soap, giving Pat a peck on the tip of his nose. “That’s the point,” he chuckled.

***  
Once they were out of the shower, Pat pondered to himself that maybe the reason they were always running late was because Mitch distracted him so much. When Pat was in squads without Mitch, Pat’s mornings were organised and efficient. The times they were together, though, always felt so much more special. If that meant they arrived to the ground a little bit later than he would have if he were alone, he was okay with that.

They got dressed without too much more distraction, then headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast sorted. Pat added some ingredients into the blender to make a banana smoothie, while Mitch tried to make the mixture for some protein pancakes. Pat loved spending any time with Mitch, but sharing the kitchen with him was always a slight challenge. Pat would never admit that, though. Mitch’s heart was always in it, and he always tried his best to cook, but he was so easily distracted that he would manage to burn the house down if Pat didn’t keep half an eye on what he was doing at all times. On top of that, he wasn’t very tidy. Pat could always tell when Mitch was living with him, because his usually pristine kitchen became a mess of crumbs and utensils. 

“Mitchy, the protein powder isn’t mixed in very well. It’s going to make powdery bubbles,” Pat warned, measuring out some cinnamon to add to their smoothie.

“It’ll be fine,” Mitch protested, waving a hand through the air dismissively.

It was not fine. Mitch tried cooking the first pancake, and exactly as Pat had predicted, it was full of air bubbles. When Mitch burst one with a fork, he found it to be full of dry protein powder. Mitch looked at Pat sheepishly, and Pat just shook his head. 

“You’ll listen to me one day,” Pat mused, while Mitch came to stand behind him, resting his head on Pat’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist. Pat relaxed into the touch. “How about I fix it while you turn the blender on?” Pat suggested calmly.

Mitch gave Pat a peck on the lips. “My hero,” he chuckled.

Pat rescued their breakfast, and they took it outside onto Pat’s balcony to eat so they could enjoy the Sydney sunshine. 

Pat had only eaten a couple of bites when both of their phones vibrated with a text. It was from a CA official, letting all of the players know that the decision had been made to play today’s match without a crowd to prevent the spread of the virus. 

They looked at each other, stunned.

“Fuck,” Mitch supplied helpfully. 

Pat grimaced. “It’s gonna be such a weird atmosphere,” he commented.

Mitch hummed thoughtfully as they continued eating. Barely two minutes later, their phones both went off again. This time, it was a message in their team group chat. 

Pat sipped his smoothie as Mitch scanned the message. As soon as he read its contents, his jaw dropped, and the bite of pancake he had in his mouth dropped to the table in front of him.

Pat screwed up his face at the sight, but the look in Mitch’s eyes made him realise that this was serious. “Mitchy, what is it?”

“Kane’s being tested for the virus. He woke up with a sore throat,” Mitch stated, voice flat with disbelief.

“Holy fuck,” Pat gasped. “Hope he’s okay.”

“Me, too,” Mitch agreed with a grimace.

***  
Pat thought it felt surreal being back at the SCG with Mitch as his fiancé. The last time they had been there together, more than an entire year ago, they were celebrating an Ashes victory together. 

Marnus greeted both of the boys with a hug when they arrived, then he seemed to remember the supposed no-contact rule in place for the virus. “Shit, sorry boys,” he fretted.

Mitch chuckled, squeezing his shoulder calmly. “Don’t worry, mate.”

Marnus exhaled with relief, still buzzing with his usual pre-match energy. “You boys have had haircuts,” he noted. Pat and Mitch looked at each other’s hair. Marnus was right - they both had their hair cleaned up when they got home from South Africa. “Did you get two for the price of one? And the barber just did the exact same thing for both of you?” Marnus laughed, pleased with his own comedy.

Both boys laughed good-naturedly. Now that Pat considered it, they did have pretty similar haircuts. He shrugged, and the team was called out for their on-field warm up.

“How are you feeling?” Pat asked Mitch when they returned to the locker room.

“Strange, honestly,” Mitch replied. “It doesn’t feel like a match day with nobody in the stands, but we still have to perform.”

Pat nodded. “You’re going to be great, Mitchy. I can feel it,” he said gently, reaching out and tracing his finger over Mitch’s engagement band.

Mitch smiled softly. “Thanks, Patty. I love you,” he said quietly.

“Love you, too,” Pat agreed, and they shared a quick kiss before heading to the team viewing area.

Dave and Aaron got the Aussies off to a brilliant start with the bat, piling on 124 runs together before Dave fell for 67. Due to the state of the game at that point in time, D’Arcy Short came in at four after Steve, pushing Marnus back to five. Mitch eventually came in at six, 34 overs into the innings.

In South Africa, Pat had felt nervous every ball Mitch faced. For some reason, today, he felt more settled. He didn’t know whether it was the lack of a buzz from the crowd or something within himself, but he still crossed his fingers every delivery just in case it helped Mitch somehow. 

Mitch got off to a steady start, and managed to hit a four off just his fourth ball. The boundary helped Pat relax, because he knew it would help Mitch’s mindset out in the middle. The Kiwi bowlers had tightened things up really well since Dave and Finchy had departed, and Mitch rode out the great deliveries from the quicks, not forcing shots that weren’t there.

Mitch and Marnus worked steadily at their partnership, dealing in ones and twos, with just the occasional boundary. Pat knew Mitch would be itching to get going and start swinging hard, but he was proud of Mitch’s patience to keep carefully rotating strike in the face of some excellent bowling.

In the 46th over, Mitch had a poke at a ball that he regretted half a second afterwards. It sailed to the fielder, Guptill, and he took the catch. Mitch bit the inside of his mouth hard to hold back the swear that, due to the lack of a crowd, would have been audible for everybody viewing the broadcast.

Despite not being able to score as many runs as Mitch had hoped, he still managed to contribute 27 to the second best partnership of the match - he and Marnus had put on 59 together.

Pat batted at eight, and he managed to contribute a six amongst his 14 runs from just 11 balls. At the completion of the overs, he was not out, and the Aussies had 258 on the board. Internally, they had all been hoping to set a higher target for the Kiwis, but the pitch wasn’t as lively as they had expected. He had a good feeling about bowling on it.

In the innings break, Pat and Mitch both needed a quick shower. When Pat saw Mitch heading into the wet room with an armful of clean gear, he followed suit. Mitch was just about to head into a cubicle when Pat joined him. Two other showers were running, and Pat gestured to them in a silent question. 

“Aaron and Marnus,” Mitch mouthed, pointing to the cubicles respectively.

Pat shrugged. “I want a kiss,” he whispered, quietly enough not to be heard under the noise of two running taps.

“Come on, then,” Mitch relented, pulling Pat into the cubicle by his waistband.

The shelves inside were obviously only designed for one, so Pat carefully folded and arranged both sets of uniforms so they wouldn’t fall down onto the wet tiles.

“I should’ve hit that ball for six,” Mitch mumbled once they both stepped under the warm water.

Pat leant down and pressed a kiss to the top of Mitch’s shoulder. “You top scored for the middle order and put together a very important partnership. Please don’t be so hard on yourself,” he implored.

Mitch calmed down a little at Pat’s words, much to Pat’s relief.

They kissed at length in the shower, and by the time they were dressed and re-emerged into the locker room, Mitch’s head had cleared enough that he felt refreshed and ready to take on the bowling innings.

***  
Pat bowled first change, so his first over was the fifth of the innings. It was a tidy one, with just three off it. His second over went for just three, and his third went for just two. Josh took a wicket in the over after that, and Pat followed that up with a maiden. The Kiwis were 1/28 after eleven overs, and Pat was really happy with the way the bowlers were performing.

After Pat’s four consecutive overs from the same end, Mitch replaced him. Pat immediately felt more nervous than he had for his own overs - he knew how much pressure Mitch was under, with a question mark always seeming to hover next to his name when it came to his selection. He took a deep breath, and willed Mitch to bowl as well as Pat knew he could.

Mitch’s first over went for just one run, and Pat couldn’t help but beam when they made eye contact across the field. Mitch’s second over went for six, his third went for four, and his fourth went for five. 0-16 were tidy figures from four overs, and Pat was thrilled for him.

Finchy left Mitch on for a fifth consecutive over from that end. The first ball went for two, and Pat saw Mitch screw up his face. He followed it up with a dot ball. Ross Taylor had a big slap at the third ball, and Pat’s heart got caught in his throat. It flew high through the air, and Pat willed Starcy to hold onto it - and he did. Mitch had his first wicket on Australian soil in what felt like forever. 

Because of the silence, Pat heard Mitch’s roar of happiness from his fielding spot, and he felt like he was going to burst with pride. 

They all rushed together, and all of the 'no contact' rules flew out of Pat’s head as he wrapped his arms around Mitch’s waist and buried his head in his neck. 

“Fuck yes,” Pat grinned, the words muffled by Mitch’s skin. When Pat stood back, he saw Mitch’s eyes full of adrenaline and relief. 

Mitch followed the wicket up with two dot balls, and the final ball of the over looked like it had been caught behind. Mitch appealed to the umpire, knowing how close it was - and got absolutely nothing from him. They had burnt their review early in the innings, so he had to accept the decision, despite Pat knowing in his heart it was wrong. 

A few moments later, the big screen showed them that there had been a nick on the bat. Mitch should have had two wickets. Pat knew that would eat at him, so he tried to give him a calming look across the field. 

Pat replaced Mitch from the same end, and his first ball went for four. The ball after came out of Pat’s hand exactly as he’d planned, and Guptill swung at it, sending it in Steve’s direction. Steve managed to take a brilliant catch, and with it, Pat had his first wicket for the day. When the team came together, Ash Agar, the twelfth man for today, let everyone know that Kane was okay and he’d be back on the field soon. A huge wave of relief washed over the group.

Pat took another wicket in his next over, and this time, Mitch rubbed his back as everyone exchanged awkward fist bumps, not used to trying not to touch each other.

Pat’s next over was another maiden, but his heart stopped when one of his short balls hit de Grandhomme on the helmet. Colin had given a thumbs up straight away, and didn’t require a helmet change, so Pat relaxed slightly.

Neither Pat nor Mitch bowled for a period after that, with Josh and Zamps taking over. Mitch was put back in to bowl in the 38th over, and he started well, with a dot and three singles. His fifth ball was a perfect length, which invited Santner to hit at it. It was coming right for Pat. Pat didn’t have time for the emotion to catch up with him, and in that moment, all he knew was that he needed to catch this ball. He positioned himself under it, and caught it securely. When the context of the moment caught up with him, his heart soared. Mitch had two wickets. They sprinted to each other, meeting somewhere in the middle, and Mitch pulled Pat in for a thrilled hug, lifting Pat off the ground momentarily with the force of it. 

“Don't hurt your back, Mitch,” Steve cautioned, but Mitch just turned to Steve with an elated grin on his face, and Steve couldn’t help but smile at his happiness.

At the completion of the over, Mitch had 2/22 from six overs. His best ODI figures that he could remember in recent history.

Mitch let his newly reestablished confidence help him with his next over. Pat knew he would be disappointed when the fourth ball went for a boundary, but Mitch refocused, and the final ball of the over was an absolute beauty. Mitch’s delivery hit the top of off stump, and the bails clattered to the ground.

Pat’s entire body was overcome by shivers. Mitch had 3 wickets in an international match. He tried to stay calm but his eyes betrayed him, and he felt some moisture in the corners of them. He wiped his face furiously with the corner of his vest, but Mitch caught him in the act. 

“Come here,” Mitch grinned, and Pat ran to him, burying his face in Mitch’s chest. Mitch held Pat’s head, elated.

“Guys, I know it feels like we’re on our own out here, but people are still watching on TV,” Steve muttered. 

“We’re not meant to be touching,” Finchy pointed out pointlessly.

Mitch finally let Pat go, but the look they exchanged was full of so much love and pride that Mitch felt like he could melt on the spot.

Pat hurried to get himself together to bowl the next over. 

Despite a boundary from the second ball, the over was pretty tidy, and before Pat knew it, he was ready to deliver the final ball. It was a short delivery, and Boult top-edged it. It went high into the air, and Pat called for it, settling himself under it - and caught it. With that, the match was over, and they had won, nine overs early.

Three wickets for himself. Three wickets for Mitch. Pat thought he must have been dreaming. 

The players lined up, prepared to shake hands, but due to the situation, they all exchanged either some claps or pretended to shake from afar. The ridiculousness of the situation made Pat laugh wryly. 

There was no post-match ceremony on the ground, since there was nobody in the stands to hear it. Pat’s heart lurched when he realised that there was no clear standout with the bat or the ball, and he had this tiny hope that Mitch might be man of the match since he’d contributed with both.

Following an interview with both captains, the broadcast team was ready to announce the man of the match.

Pat crossed his fingers and held his breath. Steve squeezed Pat’s shoulder comfortingly, like he knew exactly what Pat was thinking.

Brendan Julian announced it. “The man of the match today… is Mitchell Marsh.”

Pat felt like he had just won the lottery. He must have gasped with audible excitement, because Steve chuckled beside him. “Congrats, Patty. He deserves this,” Steve said gently.

Mitch looked stunned before he went for his interview, and he didn’t stop smiling all the way back into the dressing room.

JL wrapped Mitch up in a hug before remembering he wasn’t meant to. “You beauty,” JL beamed.

“Thanks, JL. I felt like I belonged today,” Mitch said honestly.

JL squeezed his shoulder. “You do, mate. You were awesome. I'm so proud of you. Go and let the boys get around you,” he instructed, sending Mitch into the middle of the room to stand beside Finchy.

Finchy addressed the group. “No beers tonight since we’re backing up on Sunday, but fuck, we need to celebrate this bloke who doesn’t always get the rewards for the hard work we all know he puts in. Mitchy, we all love you, mate,” Finchy declared.

The boys all whooped and cheered, and everyone converged on Mitch, ruffling his hair and patting his back. 

When everything calmed down, Mitch settled into his locker with a gatorade, and Pat sat beside him. 

“Every time I think I can’t possibly be more proud of you, you prove me wrong,” Pat said, disbelieving. He met Mitch’s eyes. “You are brilliant.”

Mitch smiled lovingly, glowing with Pat’s words. “You took three wickets, too,” he pointed out.

Pat shrugged. “Doesn’t mean as much. I don’t have to deal with the pressure of knowing one poor game might get me dropped. Everyone is so tough on you, Mitchy,” Pat frowned.

Mitch wrapped an arm around Pat’s waist, pulling him in closer so that their thighs were pressed up against one another. “You’ve never stopped believing in me,” Mitch marvelled.

Pat ran a hand back through Mitch’s hair lovingly. “Never. Because I always knew you were brilliant. I’m glad you got your rewards today,” he smiled softly.

Mitch smiled, leaning in to peck him on the lips without caring who was watching. 

“Coronavirus,” Marnus called out from across the room, pointing at the boys with a laugh. This caused everyone to look at Marnus and see what he was talking about, the eyes of the whole team now firmly on Pat and Mitch in the locker.

“They’re married, idiot,” Ash Agar pointed out, hands on his hips.

“No they’re not, they’re engaged,” Kez corrected, looking at Ash.

Pat tuned out the pair’s bickering, allowing himself to get lost in Mitch once again. “Have you checked your phone?” Pat asked him quietly.

“Not yet,” Mitch realised, twisting around and reaching up to the shelf above his locker where his phone was resting. When he turned it on, he saw a bunch of messages from family and friends, congratulating him on his fantastic day. 

Pat, looking over his shoulder, pointed one out from Shaun. It read: “Fuck yes!!!!!”

Mitch chuckled when he read it, and Pat pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “I am so proud of you, man of the match.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, I would love to know your thoughts <3


End file.
